


Surprise

by teamchasez



Category: NSYNC, Pop Music RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 07:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3166076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamchasez/pseuds/teamchasez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rachel’s been deployed for seven months overseas to Iraq. She comes home just in time for JC’s birthday and with the help of the rest of the members of *NSYNC, surprises him during a concert.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Is everything all ready?” Rachel asked as she stood against the windows in the airport terminal watching a plane take off. A small carry-on bag sitting at her feet, two duffel bags already checked at the gate.

“It’s all set,” Lance grinned into the phone, his eyes darting around searching for a certain person. He was across the room engaged in a conversation with Justin and Joey; both of whom had met his eyes when Lance’s cell phone rang and made a beeline to distract the singer. “Your plane still coming in at the same time?”

“Yes.” Rachel allowed the smile to grow on her lips. “No delays. I hope it stays that way. After planning all this anything else happening is disappointing.”

“Come on now. You know no matter what you do, he’ll be ecstatic. Probably completely shocked, unable to say a word. He’ll be rendered useless for the rest of the show.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t do it during the show.” Rachel said, not for the first time questioning the idea she had come up with; surprising JC on stage.

“No. This is a great idea, do not back out now.” Lance said firmly, his eyes flickering back to his bandmates to make sure JC was still distracted. “I was only joking. JC’ll be able to pull it together to finish the show out.”

“Maybe I should have just told him when I was returning and he could have been at the base.” Rachel leaned her forehead against the cool glass. The decision to surprise JC during a concert in Raleigh, North Carolina a couple days before his birthday had been easy to come up and easier to get the rest of the guys on board when she had received her return date.

Rachel had been in Iraq for the last seven months on deployment for the United States Marine Corps. It was a hostile environment being on foreign soil so soon after the September eleventh terrorist attacks. Her base had been attacked three times during her stay. Her nerves had been shot, always on alert, waiting for something else to happen.

Her saving grace, the one thing keeping her sane was the letters she received from JC. She shouldn’t have been surprised that they came pretty regularly, especially since he was in the midst of a big tour across the United States. She wasn’t surprised at the length or the eloquent words. JC’s passion was words. With his letters, it felt as if she was at every concert, on the tour bus, backstage at interviews or back home while on a few days off. His words flowed from the page. She always thought her letters lacking, but JC insisted they were perfect.

The first thing she wanted to do when she knew the exact date her unit was detaching and heading back to the States was to write to him and let him know. But after double checking the tour schedule, she realized he had a show in Alabama and would be unable to meet her when she stepped off the plane. It was a depressing thought knowing there would be no one waiting for her, but it was better than to hear the anguish in JC’s voice when he realized he couldn’t be there.

So she had come up with the plan and snagged a phone call to phone Lance. The minute his voice had hesitantly said hello over the receiver at the unknown caller, she wanted to weep. It was seldom she was able to call home. And when she was able to, the calls had been short. But she wouldn’t have traded those five minute, ten minute phone calls for anything. JC’s voice stayed with her for days afterward.

The first thing she told Lance had been not to alert anyone that she was on the other end. It had been rough; Lance had been in the middle of a show break-down, making changes for the upcoming leg. She wanted to kiss him for being able to keep his voice neutral with the guys sitting next to him.

Details couldn’t be worked out in that one phone call. But she told him she was coming home and would be making the Raleigh show right before JC’s birthday. She knew Lance would know what to do to make sure she was allowed entrance as most knew she was deployed. Knowing her time was running up she had set up a date and time window she would call next to work out the rest of the details.

“You know we had a show that night in another state,” Lance told her, his voice dropping slightly. “He would have been depressed, brokenhearted. You know how hard he is to deal with when he gets like that.”

Rachel felt the smile cross her lips again. “Yeah,” she sighed longingly.

“It’s sickening how much in love you two are. Disgusting,” Lance joked. “Don’t worry. Everything is set. We’ll be on stage, do a little thing about his birthday, yada yada yada and then…”

“Surprise here I am.” Rachel filled in.

“Everything taken care of on your end?”

“Yes. Thirty days of leave submitted and approved.” This time she was unable to stop the smile from growing. She had thirty days post-deployment leave. She had thirty days to spend with JC without having to worry about working and training. Leading up to the deployment their time together had been severely limited with the training she had to do before leaving. And with the start of a new tour, JC had been rehearsing and rehearsing; doing interviews, radio and TV alike. 

There had been some days in that final month when he flew in to spend only the rest of the hours in the day with her before flying out the next morning. But that time they spent together, was special to them.

“Just long enough for us to get sick of you and send your ass back to…”

“You ruin it before it even happens, I won’t show up and you can explain. You know how JC gets…” Rachel threatened causing Lance to laugh. 

“Yeah right. You’ll be here. You wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’ll be there.”

“I need to go; I’m starting to get looks.” Lance said. “Lonnie will pick you up from the airport and bring you to the arena.”

“Okay, see you in a couple hours.” Rachel ended the phone call and sighed. She was thankful the flight to Raleigh from New Bern was only an hour. She’d arrive after the show started, depending on traffic in the city. Until it was time for the birthday spot, she had to stay hidden backstage where JC couldn’t see her when he came under for outfit changes.

She stared at the background image on her phone, seeing her and JC, cheek to cheek smiling widely at the camera. She loved him. Time couldn’t move fast enough for her. After seven months away, she was more than ready to be with him again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Woo,” Justin shouted as they ran off the stage to enlist in another outfit change. Their band continued with a melody strand that would lead up to the next song, slowing down the tempo.

“Damn,” Joey quickly pulled off the green vest; his costume during _‘The Game is Over’_ that made him up to look like a character in a video game.

“Yo, JC, what are you waiting on?” Chris asked as he straightened his clothes after putting on the sleeveless jean jacket complete with random patches of orange sewn on. He watched as the younger man stared at his chair. The blue vest he had worn during the last song lay forgotten at his feet.

“JC?” Lance asked stepping over to the young man, all ready to go in his own white jacket with blue patches. “What’s wrong?”

“Yeah Dawg; we don’t have much time. We need to be out there…” Justin said. He took off the microphone that hooked over his ear; they used those because it was easier to dance with than holding a microphone. But the next part of the show slowed down into an almost intimate setting.

JC stared at the white piece of paper folded in half that sat on the chair designated for him during the costume changes. His name was scrawled across written in familiar handwriting. Handwriting that he’s stared at for month, his only communication with Rachel. His head snapped up and he looked around the backstage area, searching faces and dark corners but he came up empty. _‘How did this get here?’_

He looked at each of his bandmates. “Did you do this?”

“Do what?” Chris asked exasperated. Time was running out. They needed to get a move on.

“That.” JC said pointing to the untouched paper. He was almost afraid to open it; like it would be a cruel joke.

“What?” Lance followed JC’s finger and froze seeing the paper. He recognized the handwriting immediately. And bit back the urge to curse. She was going to ruin the surprise before it even happened.

“Looks like a note,” Joey shrugged, nonchalantly keeping his face impassive.

“But how did it get here?” JC questioned. “That’s Rachel’s handwriting. How can she leave it here when she’s not even in the country?”

“So she mailed it to someone else and asked them to put it there for you to read during the show,” Justin shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it off, for if she was standing next to him, this move would have garnered a head slap. They had a hard enough time making sure no one spilled the beans over the fact that she was returning.

“Read it,” Joey told him, grabbing up JC’s sleeveless jean jacket with pink splotches.

JC picked up the letter, holding it in his hands. He was vaguely aware of Justin and Lance removing the microphone from his head and the box that was clipped to the waistband of his pants. He opened the letter giving up his arms one at a time so Joey could slip on his jacket.

He slid his finger in the fold, opening the letter. Rachel’s handwriting jumped off the page at him.

_I wish I could be there to celebrate your birthday. But know that I’m thinking of you right now and counting down until I can be with you again._

_P.S. Sing the next one for me._

“JC,” Lance said softly, his own eyes reading the note. “We need to get back out there. You gonna be okay?”

JC nodded and folded note in half once again, then folded it again, creating a new crease. He slid it into the pocket of his black silk-like pants. He rubbed both his hands over his face in an attempt to get his mind back on track. He blew out a slow breath and sent a smile to the guys. “Let’s go.”

“I loved you forever,” JC sang as the group dispersed, leaving him to walk down the runway; the audience on either side of him. His mind closed out the noise the crowd made the moment he started singing. “In lifetimes before. And I promise you never, will you hurt anymore.” His eyes fluttered shut as he laid his right hand over his heart. “I give you my word, I give you my heart, this is a battle we’d won. And with this vow forever has now begun.”

JC sang out his part with everything he had. His voice rose and dropped with feeling. The guys had been split up two-by-two on the stage, Justin and Lance on one side, Joey and Chris on the other as they sang in the background. They hit their cues during JC’s part then blended together as the chorus came up.

“Over and over I fall,” JC’s voice rang out as he sang the bridge. “When I hear you call…”

The guys sang as they walked back to the main part of the stage to meet with JC to end the song together. They had never heard JC sing with this much passion on this song or any song. It wasn’t a secret that he could out sing them all; they knew he had the vocal range, but this… They wanted to stop singing and let JC finish on his own. Mostly because they wanted to listen themselves.

JC backed up the stage, coming back to stand in a line with the rest of the group. He stood between Justin and Chris as they dropped into the final time through the chorus. While the others sang the chorus, he had the higher echoing lines. His eyes drifted close once again, his right hand moving in motions to the words of the song.

“And every word I say is true, this I promise you,” Justin sang as the other fell silent to end the song. After JC’s performance, he felt his own was lacking. “Ooo I promise you, ye-ah-ah.”

“How are we doing Raleigh?” Justin spoke into his microphone after the strands of the song drifted away. The crowd erupted into screams and he smiled. “You guys are in luck tonight because we have something special planned.

“We do?” JC asked confused. He was ready to go into the next song, ‘Drive Myself Crazy’.

“We do,” Lance confirmed. “You see someone has a birthday coming up.” He grinned when JC groaned good-naturedly. The crowd cheered wildly, shouting out JC’s name.

JC smiled and waved to the crowd, causing them to scream louder.

“And since you’re so hard to shop for,” Chris jumped in. “We decided to go together and get you one big gift!”

“I’m almost afraid to see this,” JC laughed, his mood lifting as the guys surprised him with this. He hadn’t expected them to do anything. Of course he knew they would drag him out on his actual birthday but he wasn’t expecting something happening during the concert.

“Nah, Dawg, you won’t be afraid.” Justin said.

“I don’t know how we’ll be able to upstage this next year,” Lance said.

“You guys ready to sing to JC?” Joey turned toward the crowd. They cheered loudly.

“Ready? One…Two…” Justin started them off and the four members, along with the sold out venue started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to JC.

JC stood with what he was sure a stupid grin on his face as they all sang to him. When the song came to an end, he brought the microphone up to his mouth. “Thank you,” he said. He waved to the crowd. “You guys are awesome.” He walked toward the front row reaching and out, clasping hands with the audience as they reached out to him.

He heard the crowd start to cheer louder but didn’t think anything of it. He continued to clasp hands down the runway; any that he could reach safely. Cheers came much louder than before and the people around him started pointing behind him. He was almost afraid what the guys had planned.

JC stood up and turned around and was unprepared for the shock he received. He was frozen, unable to move. His brain shouted that it was some kind of joke, it wasn’t possible. There was no way she could be here when she was across the ocean. His heart though, wouldn’t listen.

His eyes glanced to his friends who stood on either side of Rachel, with Chersire grins. It hit him then; the secretive talks they had, the phone calls. Everything added together. The note burned in his pocket. She had been here. She had been watching… His heart stumbled and he made his feet move in her direction.

Rachel smiled, watching JC walk towards her. Tears were already streaming down her face, had been since the start of _‘This I Promise You’_. It was her favorite song and she’d been happy to know she hadn’t missed it when she arrived at the arena. She couldn’t help herself writing the note and leaving it for him to find. She had stood in the shadows watching as he read it, barely ducking from sight when he scanned the area. She had wanted to go to him then but knew it wasn’t the time; they had to return to the stage immediately.

Her feet moved toward him, leaving the guys behind. The closer she got to him, the faster she moved. When she met him halfway down the runway she jumped landing against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her legs around his waist. She buried her face into his neck, her tears coming in earnest.

JC dropped the microphone to the stage floor and caught Rachel as she flew to him. He was proud he didn’t stumble or drop her. He braced his legs, accepting her weight. He snaked his arms around her back, holding her against him. He held her tight unable to believe that she was actually here in his arms.

Rachel let her legs slide down to the floor, but kept her arms secured around his neck. His held tight around her, which suited her perfectly. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay like this forever. She could make out the cheers all around her and couldn’t believe she had actually came out on stage in front of the thousands in attendance. She could hear the guys talking into their microphones but she couldn’t make herself concentrate on them. “JC…” she whispered against his neck.

“Are you really here?” JC murmured against her hair. He felt her nod and squeezed her tighter. He leaned back to stare into her eyes. He brushed her tears away as he palmed her cheeks. He leaned down and kissed her; the crowd going wild around him. “How…”

“Surprise.” Rachel smiled sheepishly at him, she kissed him again. The first kiss not nearly enough. “God JC,” she leaned into him again, her face against his neck. “I missed you.”

“Not nearly as much as I missed you,” JC held her, his hands rubbing up and down her back. “I love you.

“I love you,” she smiled raised her head smiling at him. She accepted his whisper of a kiss. She heard the shrieks of the female fans rise and she grinned at him. “We should curb this until later. I don’t want any of them storming the stage after me.”

JC returned her grin with his own before bending down to retrieve the forgotten microphone. He took Rachel’s hand in his as they walked back up toward the guys.

“We do have a show to continue you know?” Justin grinned as he pulled JC into a hug. “Happy birthday man.”

JC accepted hugs from his friends. “I don’t know what to say…” He held Rachel’s hand tight in his unable to let her go. He brought the microphone to his lips, pausing as he thought of what to say. “Wow… I don’t know what I expected you do to… but… I never expected this. You guys have truly shocked me.”

The guys grinned and high-fived each other.

“I don’t want to let you go now,” JC said looking at Rachel. “You might have to stay here for the rest of the show.” He grinned when she saw her eyes widen.

“No no no,” Rachel said, shaking her head, his microphone picking up her words.

“Yeah,” Joey grinned.

“No,” Rachel gave an adamant shake of her head.

JC grinned as he pulled her into a hug again, letting the hand with the microphone stay at his side. Knowing the moment was over, the guys moved away to their spots to get ready for the next song. Their band cued the melody for _‘Drive Myself Crazy’_ ; cycling through that until they received a sign from the guys they were ready. “Wait for me backstage.”

“I’ll be the first thing you see,” Rachel gave him a final squeeze before she straightened. “I love you.”

JC’s smile softened and he brushed his lips against hers. “I love you.” His eyes followed her as she walked toward the back of the stage before disappearing. Once she was out of sight, he turned back to the crowd ready to continue with the show. There was someone special waiting on him.


End file.
